Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Meth Lab - Oakfield

For the 18th time this year , the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency is working to dismantle a suspected methamphetamine lab – this time in the Aroostook County Town of Oakfield.

Early this morning, State Trooper Carmen Lilley responded to a home on the River Road in Oakfield to investigate a disturbance that had been reported by a 911 call to State Police dispatch center in Houlton. According to the caller, someone inside the residence was allegedly “trying to burn the house down”. Upon his arrival, Trooper Lilley observed individuals at the residence who appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamine. In addition, Trooper Lilley was able to detect a strong chemical odor coming from the residence and noticed materials consistent with the production of methamphetamine. Suspecting that methamphetamine could be being produced, Trooper Lilley evacuated the house and notified MDEA’s clandestine lab response team. Trooper Lilley arrested the home owner, Douglas Morin, on a domestic violence related offense.

Using the information gathered by the initial law enforcement responders, MDEA applied for, and was granted a search warrant for Morin’s residence. Late this morning , the search warrant was served at the house by members of MDEA’s clandestine lab response team. Agents have recovered a significant amount of evidence consistent with the manufacturing of methamphetamine. As a result, Douglas Morin, 39, of Oakfield, was charged with Class B Trafficking in Schedule W Drugs (methamphetamine). He is currently being held at the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton. Bail has been set at $10,000 cash.

MDEA is being assisted at the scene by the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department, State Police, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), a State of Maine chemist and the Oakfield Fire Department. They expect to be on scene for most of the afternoon.

Last year there were 20 meth labs dismantled in Maine by drug agents, a state record.